Zhou Xiaocheng didn't hesitate. "Xiaohong?"

Zhou Xiaoling nodded eagerly. "Yes! I saw her—she's so thin she's barely recognizable. Just standing by the gate with a suitcase, like she couldn't decide whether to come in or not. I didn't dare say anything—I just ran back."

With her black-and-white view of the world, Zhou Xiaoling knew that if she spoke to Zhou Xiaohong, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from asking if she'd lost her mind—how could someone from the Zhou family be such an ingrate? But now, knowing Zhou Xiaohong wasn't biologically related, she held her tongue.

Zhou Xiaocheng thought for a moment, then headed outside.

Zhou Xiaoling quickly pulled Lin Xiaoxiao along to see what would happen. "Let's go see if that fool has finally come to her senses. Who knows where she's been all this time? Mom doesn't say it, but I know she worries."

Lin Xiaoxiao understood. A mother's heart held both anger and worry—no matter how badly a child messed up, the love never completely died.

When the three of them reached the gate, Zhou Xiaohong was still standing under a tree across the street, clutching a small brown leather suitcase and staring uncertainly at the compound.

Lin Xiaoxiao was shocked at the change in her. The once fresh-faced, elegant girl was now little more than skin and bones, her cheekbones protruding sharply.

Her hair lacked its usual shine, tied back messily. She looked like a woman in her thirties who had been worn down by life.

Lin Xiaoxiao couldn't understand how anyone could let themselves fall so far.

Zhou Xiaohong seemed equally surprised to see Zhou Xiaocheng and Lin Xiaoxiao. Her eyes lingered on Zhou Xiaoling, who had stopped just outside the gate with Lin Xiaoxiao, then focused on her second brother as he approached.

Tears welled in her eyes. "Second Brother."

Zhou Xiaocheng looked at her calmly, without warmth or anger. "Why did you do something so foolish?"

Zhou Xiaohong began to cry. "I didn't mean to—I know I was wrong. I really do. I know Mom and Dad are still angry. I just wanted to see them... I'll leave soon."

Zhou Xiaocheng sighed almost imperceptibly. "They're fine, Xiaohong. I've told you before—you need to learn to see people clearly, not just follow your impulses. Sweet words can hide sharp knives."

Zhou Xiaohong kept crying, wiping her tears as she spoke. The past six months had been hard. She'd left her job, thinking she could make it on her own, but it wasn't that simple. There were no jobs to be found, and she was too proud to join those selling goods on the black market.

Eventually, she rented a small, run-down room and lived off her savings. She wasn't starving, but life was far from easy.

Hearing that there were more opportunities in the south, she'd decided to go—but she wanted to say goodbye first.

Zhou Xiaocheng took a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. "Remember this lesson. Mistakes aren't erased by tears. Saying sorry doesn't make it disappear. People remember. Wrong is wrong."

Zhou Xiaohong took the handkerchief and dabbed her eyes, looking at him pleadingly. "Second Brother, does this family really not want me anymore?"

He shook his head. "What you did went too far. And you still haven't truly changed. You think that because some time has passed, everyone's anger will have faded—that if you come back and act sweet, it'll all be forgotten. Then you'll leave again, and everyone will keep worrying about you."

He hadn't been home long, but he knew his sister all too well.

He sighed. "Xiaohong, maybe one day, when you have a family of your own, you'll understand what you've done."

Zhou Xiaohong cried silently, convinced she already understood.

Finally, she looked up, hurt. "No matter what I say, you've all decided I haven't changed. But I really have."

Zhou Xiaocheng shook his head. "You haven't. If you had, you wouldn't have come to us first. You would have gone to apologize to your sister-in-law. She's the one you wronged. She's the one you hurt. She's at university—it wouldn't have been hard to find her. But you didn't. Not once."

"Because deep down, you don't believe you did anything wrong. You still think that if it weren't for her, you wouldn't be where you are—that if it weren't for her and our eldest brother, this family wouldn't have fallen apart."

His words hit home. Zhou Xiaohong stopped crying and stared at him, stunned. It was true—she'd never once thought of apologizing to Lin Xiaoxiao.

The only people she'd felt sorry for were her parents—for causing them pain in their old age.

Zhou Xiaocheng looked disappointed. "You should go. Don't make Mom and Dad angry again. You know Mom's health isn't good—don't make it worse."

Zhou Xiaohong bit her lip, her voice trembling. "I came to say goodbye, Second Brother. I've decided to go south."

Zhou Xiaocheng frowned but didn't ask why, or whether she had the proper permits, or how a young woman would survive alone so far away. She was an adult. She could make her own choices.

Zhou Xiaohong picked up her suitcase and walked away without looking back, her posture stiff and proud.

Zhou Xiaocheng watched her go with a heavy heart, then turned and rejoined Zhou Xiaoling and Lin Xiaoxiao under the tree.

Zhou Xiaoling couldn't contain her curiosity. "What did she say? Did she cry and say she was sorry? If she's really sorry, why didn't she apologize to Sis instead of putting on a crying show?

Does she think tears are enough?"

Zhou Xiaocheng felt a pang of sadness. Even Zhou Xiaoling understood—why couldn't Zhou Xiaohong? It wasn't that she wasn't smart; she was just selfish.

Lin Xiaoxiao listened quietly. Part of her was glad Zhou Xiaohong was too selfish to apologize—because even if she had, Lin wasn't sure she could have forgiven her.

Lin Xiaoxiao had expected Zhou Xiaocheng's request for help to come later, but on the fourth day of break, he approached her. "Sis, are you free tomorrow? I need you to come with me."

"Sure. What time?"

"I'll pick you up around ten."

To avoid any awkwardness, Zhou Xiaocheng also asked Zhou Xiaoling to take the day off and join them.

Zhou Xiaoling was thrilled. "Where do you think he's taking us?" she asked Lin Xiaoxiao excitedly.

The next day, when Zhou Xiaocheng brought them to the morgue, Zhou Xiaoling stared in disbelief.

She turned to Lin Xiaoxiao, her voice flat with disappointment. "So this is what my brother meant by 'someplace fun'?"